These Expert-Approved Serums Could Help Fight Hair Loss

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As you age, and as life gets more complex, it’s completely normal to experience some hair loss. Between diffuse thinning, receding hairline, and bald spots, fighting hair loss can feel like a never-ending battle. Even if you have your shampoo and conditioner routine down pat, it may not be enough to prevent hair loss and encourage new growth. If you’re losing your hair, it’s time to take a look at your routine and make some changes to your starting lineup by adding a hair growth serum to the mix.

The best hair growth serums tackle hair loss on multiple fronts; they improve the condition of your scalp, which aids in encouraging healthy hair growth, and they also infuse moisture into your existing strands, making them stronger and less prone to breakage. Some hair growth serums also target some of the common signs of aging in hair, which includes a loss of density, fading hair color, and overall dullness. How, you may ask, do hair growth serums work? It depends on the active ingredients that are in the formula, but many feature ingredients like minoxidil, saw palmetto, redensyl, and red clover, which have all been clinically proven to promote hair growth. These serums can revive lackluster locks and reignite your follicles, which in turn encourages hair growth and gives you the thick, healthy hair you once had not so long ago.

Though take note, a lot of haircare brands claim that their hair growth can make hair growth, but doctors say there is only one FDA-approved over-the-counter ingredient to treat androgenetic alopecia (aka male pattern baldness): Minoxidil.

"Minoxidil is thought to act by increasing blood flow and therefore oxygenation of hair follicles and stem cells that exist along the hair follicle," says Dr. Brendan Camp, a double board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology in New York City. "Improved circulation and oxygenation may encourage growth of stem cells and encourage hairs to remain in anaphase, the growth phase of their life cycle."

Plus, even the best hair growth serums take at least three months for you to see visible results. "Scalp hair typically grows at a rate of about 1 cm per month," says Camp. "If you use a hair growth product for only a month before moving on to the next one, you are not giving the product enough time to prove itself. Use a hair growth product for at least 3-4 months before deciding if it is helpful or not."

Whether you're dealing with genetic hair loss, hair thinning due to stress or hormonal changes, or simply age-related hair loss, the best hair growth serums can help get your hair to a healthier state, strengthening the hair follicles you do have and boosting the hair follicles that fell off in recent years.Ready to give your hair the boost in nourishment it deserves? Here are the 13 best hair growth serums, tried and tested by Men’s Health editors.

Minoxidil 5% Regrowrth Solution

This clinically-proven formula is your express ticket to thicker, fuller hair. Packed with 5% minoxidil, the only topical drug that's approved for the treatment of male pattern hair loss, it reignites dormant follicles, strengthening weak strands and promoting robust hair growth.

"Minoxidil is prescribed as an oral medication to treat high blood
pressure, and it was found that hair growth is one of its side
effects," says Camp. "Topical minoxidil capitalizes on this side effect to promote scalp hair growth and prevent further hair loss."

Testing Notes: We love the non-greasy formula, which doesn't affect our hair texture or style. One dropper is enough to concentrate the solution only on areas where our hair was thinning, and the applicator made it easy to precisely apply. We like to use our fingertips to gently massage the solution into the scalp, which promotes better absorption and helps distribute the treatment evenly.

Flourish Density Booster Spray

If you want to encourage healthy new growth without using any OTC drugs, Virtue’s Flourish Density Booster delivers similar results without minoxidil. In a clinical study, participants had equal amounts of significant hair regrowth, so you can trust that this botanical-based formula actually works to stimulate dormant follicles.

Dr. Camp has co-signed this hairspray as well. "This product includes plant-based nutrients, keratins, and peptides to provide the scalp and hair with the nutrients needed to maintain healthy hair," he says.

Testing Notes: This serum couldn’t be easier to use. We just spritzed it onto damp or dry hair once daily and noticed a difference in hair volume and thickness within three months. We love that you don’t have to be super precise with the application and there’s no need to rinse it out, so you can dry and style your hair as normal. The lightweight formula is nearly invisible on our strands within seconds of application.

GRO Hair Serum

This plant-based formulation uses a combination of clinically-tested, vegan active ingredients like red clover and mung bean to help support a healthy and balanced follicular ecosystem (which is important for hair growth) while soothing the scalp and revitalizing hair roots. It won't weigh fine hair down like other thicker serums, and smells delightful, thanks to the blend of powerful phyto-actives.

"Vegan phytoactives are included in this hair growth serum
to soothe the scalp and revitalize hair follicles for an improved
appearance of hair density and thickness," says Camp.

Testing Notes: We found this hair growth serum most effective as a spot treatment to reduce hair shedding. Using a full dropper across any thinning areas didn't leave behind any visible residue after letting the solution soak into the scalp for a few minutes, and it did not make our hair greasy. This is not a treatment you can skip often and still expect to see some results; you really have to commit to using it every day if you want to continue making progress on your hair growth journey.

Men's Hair Growth Supplement and Hair Serum

This dynamic duo targets the underlying causes of hair thinning from the inside out. The daily supplement features clinically proven ingredients like saw palmetto and biotin, which provide the foundation for promoting healthy hair regrowth from within. The topical serum targets the root of thinning hair, stimulating follicles and strengthening strands.

Testing Notes: Sometimes topical treatments only treat the symptoms, not the underlying cause. This two-pronged approach tackles hair loss and thinning by targeting the nutritional aspect and providing a topical solution, which is what makes it so effective. The supplements were simple to integrate into our routine and while the serum required patience and dedication, we saw the visible results of our efforts faster, perhaps because of this dual-action strategy.

Deputy Commerce Editor Christian Gollayan has been using Nutrafol's supplement and serum combo for the past six months, and he says his hair (and eyebrows) have appeared fuller and thicker. "My side part, temples, and crown area appear darker, fuller, and healthier," Gollayan says. "Downing four pills daily and applying the serum can be a hassle sometimes, but the results are totally worth it."

Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density

Affordable yet effective, this science-backed serum packs a punch with a potent blend of trademarked peptides and plant-based extract, encouraging hair follicles to thrive and promoting lush, thick locks.

Testing Notes: While you can certainly use this serum as a spot treatment, we also like using it all over the scalp to encourage overall thickeness, not just in the areas where we noticed thinning. At under $25 for two ounces, we don't mind going through this bottle quickly since it's so easy and cheap to replace. We prefer to use on dry hair, which helps the product to be absorbed more efficiently at the roots instead of traveling down the hair follicle.

Destined For Density MegaStrength + Caffeine + Biotin Peptide Density Serum

Add a little pep to your lackluster strands with this caffeine-powered serum. The unique density-boosting complex stimulates the scalp and strengthens the hair follicle to support elasticity, so your hair can bend without breaking. We especially like using it around the hairline where breakage tends to occur.

"It includes zinc, biotin, copper peptides, and an energy complex composed of caffeine CoQ10 and green coffee oil to supply the scalp and hair follicles with nutrients and antioxidants that help overcome environmental stressors, like free oxygen radicals, that can damage hair," says Camp.

Scalp Serum

This lightweight serum is infused with a powerful blend of multiple amino acids and peptides to help remove any buildup on the follicles that may be hindering hair growth. Copper Tripeptide-1, peppermint oil, green tea leaf extract, and tea tree oil support thicker hair and encourage overall scalp health, while menthol increases blood circulation to the scalp, boosting follicle activity.

Cold Processed Stem Cell Serum

A dropperful of Act + Acre’s Cold Processed Apple Stem Cell Scalp Serum a day keeps hair loss at bay by increasing the length of the anagen (growth) phase in the hair growth cycle, which helps prevents hair loss, thinning, and fallout. Regular use of this serum can even repair the scalp microbiome on a cellular level, improving hair density and providing the scalp with balanced hydration for softer, thicker hair. Dr. Camp also recommends this serum this clients.

3D Daily Thickening Treatment

Most hair serums take weeks or months to see visible results. This daily treatment gives you an instant lift while also targeting the root of hair thinning. Formulated with innovative ingredients like Redensyl™ and pea sprout extract, it adds volume to thinning hair, giving you a noticeable boost in thickness and texture.

The Scalp Treatment

This luxurious treatment is like a vitamin-enriched IV drip for your scalp. Packed with transformative ingredients like Augustinus Bader's patented TFC8® peptide alongside potent hair superfoods that are rich in natural proteins, antioxidants, and omega fatty acids, this serum instantly optimizes hair follicle function, reinvigorating the hair follicles at the root to support natural growth and renewal.

Tonique Vivifiant Leave-In Tonic Spray Treatment for Hair Vitality

We love using this leave-in tonic as a supplement to a more targeted hair growth serum. Infused with plant proteins for strength, mimosa tenuiflora to help hydrate dry strands, and vitamin-rich seaweed extract, this lightweight spray promotes scalp health by providing everything your hair follicles need for vitality on a daily basis.

SUPA THICK Topical Hair Supplement

A healthy scalp is the key to healthy hair, especially when you're trying to promote new growth. This targeted treatment targets both the hair follicle stem cells and dermal papilla cells, which plays the main role in the regulation of hair growth. At the same time, the prebiotics and probiotics that are infused into the formula help repopulate the scalp’s all-important microbiome, helping hair transition to the anagen phase, which reduces shedding and encourages thicker growth.

RD2 Hair Loss Serum for Men

This potent serum is loaded up with 24% active ingredients —all designed to tackle different signs and symptoms of hair loss. The sophisticated formulation is designed to penetrate deep into the scalp, encouraging circulation, blocking the production of DHT and ultimately stimulating hair growth. Capixyl, a blend of peptides and red clover extract, boosts hair follicles by modulating levels of DHT and improving anchorage, keeping your hair on your head. AnaGain aids the rebalancing of the hair life cycle by stimulating hair growth at the root, reactivating hair growth and improving hair density.

Does Hair Regrowth Serum Really Work?

The hair growth serums that are the most effective contain an effective dose of active ingredients. Some ingredients, such as minoxidil, finasteride, or specific peptides, have faced the scrutiny of multiple studies and been clinically-proven to stimulate hair follicles and promote regrowth. Some plant-based ingredients also have compelling studies behind them to demonstrate their effectiveness, but these may take longer to see visible results. Additionally, hair regrowth serums have been shown to be more effective when used at the first signs of hair loss or thinning, so don't sleep on the decision to add a hair growth serum to your routine—or it might be too late.

What is proven to help hair regrowth?

Ingredients like minoxidil, finasteride, and certain patented peptides have all been proven to encourage new growth. Some treatments like low-level laser therapy, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, and hair transplant surgery are also proven for the treatment of hair loss, however these treatments can be quite invasive and costly.

How Long Does it Take for Hair Growth Serum to Work?

On average, your hair grows at a rate of approximately half an inch per month if it's healthy, so if you're suffering from hair loss, you can expect that it will take even longer for your hair to grow. While you may notice subtle changes to your hair texture and condition within the first few weeks of using a hair growth serum, it can take 3 to 4 months of consistent use to see real results and visible new growth. After 6 months or more of continuous use, you can expect to see significant and noticeable improvements in hair volume and thickness, but this doesn't mean you can stop using your hair growth serum. You have to keep using the serum even after you have achieved your desired results. If you stop using the product, your original hair growth cycle will start again and your hair will return to its original state.

How We Selected

For this story, Cristina Montemayor consulted with MH editors like Deputy Commerce Editor Christian Gollayan, as well as board-certified dermatologist Dr. Brendan Camp, on the best hair growth serums for men that really do work. She evaluated our editors' testing notes to see just how effective they were, and considered hair type and price point to find the best picks for as many people as possible.

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